Uncertain Glory Page #6

You know, straighten out your account.

Look, the only help I ever got from up there

came out of a bomb rack.

All right. But, remember this.

When the Gestapo puts you up against

that wall, they won't let you have a priest.

There will be nobody but you.

You will stand there all alone,

a couple of seconds from God.

Look, Bonet.

In that church,

there's a nice, simple village priest.

What kind of confessions is he used to?

Small, petty stuff.

Swearing, drinking, beating your wife.

Things like that.

Why, if he would've heard my list,

he'd faint.

Uh-uh.

For me, it would take at least a bishop.

And I say to you mothers whose sons

may give up their souls to God...

...their sacrifice is not in vain,

nor will it be forgotten.

For as the son of Mary

died upon his cross for all mankind...

...so do we know and all the world with us,

the true reason for their martyrdom.

This is God's will, my children.

We've not followed him.

We put power and pleasure

and vainglory before the love of him.

We've sinned, my children,

man and nations alike.

And because of our sins, we now witness

this tragedy that has come upon the earth.

While there is still time, let us kneel...

...and beg God's forgiveness and mercy.

In the name of the Father

and the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Amen.

Monsieur. Good morning, Jean.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

- Ready?

- I'm going to fix some lunch...

...and I'll be back in a few minutes.

Why don't you go

and see our church while you're waiting.

- It's quite old and very beautiful.

- Yes, it is, yes.

I was at the early mass. Beautiful.

Well, I shan't be very long.

Good.

What is this luncheon affair

she spoke of?

Hmm? Oh, didn't I tell you?

We're going on a picnic, the three of us.

Another one of your tricks.

Now, listen, Picard...

Here's one with a cushion.

Bonet.

About that confessing...

I...

I think I'd like to tell a few things.

Good.

Go and see the priest.

No, no. Not him. I'll tell you.

- You can't do that.

- Why not?

I am not allowed to listen.

Forget the rules.

This is just between the two of us.

It won't take long.

I'll just tell you the highlights.

In 1932, I think it was,

in the rue St-Honor, there was...

You listening?

I shouldn't, but I am.

All right.

In 1932, there was a big bank robbery.

A branch of Lazard's.

Did you pull that one?

Neat, wasn't it?

Didn't leave any trace at all.

Trace? You didn't leave anything.

Did you work alone?

Now, would the priest

have asked me that?

Go ahead. What else?

Then do you remember when

that famous painting of the Fra Angelico...

...disappeared out of the Louvre?

Yes.

I worked with Max Legros on that one.

Legros always worked alone.

Well, this was sort of a personal favor.

He just didn't know his way around

art galleries.

Are you telling the truth?

Of course, I am.

Why, this is a miracle.

This will clear up many things.

Are you the one who did away

with Legros?

Well, in a way.

A very peculiar thing happened to Legros.

You know that to this day no trace

has ever been found of his body.

How did you dispose of him?

You know he was a great drinker too.

Well, one day suddenly...

...poor Legros just burst into a flame.

- What?

- Spontaneous combustion.

One minute he was sitting down as happy

Pfft.

There was a sudden explosion...

...and Legros went up in smoke.

Nothing left of him except

a handful of ashes and a few gold teeth.

Here's one of them here.

Why, you...

Confession.

A bunch of lies.

Close the door.

- Are you with us on this, Vitrac?

- I am.

Good. Sit down.

All of you are familiar with the Gartempe

bridge and the roads leading to it?

Yes.

Now, I will give you

your instructions in turn.

Memorize them carefully.

Every little detail.

Are you really

going away tomorrow, Jean?

Mm-hm.

Doesn't leave us much time, does it?

You aren't coming back?

Is there somebody else?

Some other girl?

No other girl.

Don't you care?

I care.

Then why, Jean?

It's too hard to tell you.

Too many things.

But after I'm gone, you'll get over it.

There's an old saying about that.

Love makes time pass

and time makes love pass.

- So...

- You don't believe that, Jean.

Time will never come between us,

no matter where you are.

We'll find each other

again someday, somewhere.

No.

Not after tomorrow, Marianne.

We'll never see each other again.

Now, for the last time,

repeat everything I've told you.

Vitrac, you begin.

Well, the night the bridge was blown up,

last Thursday night, it was...

...I was walking home from Clairvaux

with Latour and Razeau.

- What time was it?

- Around 9:
00.

We were hurrying because of the curfew.

About a hundred meters

west of the bridge...

...we suddenly saw this fellow Dupont

climbing the bank of the ravine...

...like he was under the bridge.

Of course, we didn't know

who he was then...

...but we recognized him later

in the village and...

Well, go on. He was alone

and carrying a box of some sort.

That's right.

When he saw us he stopped,

looked very surprised...

...and than he dashed off the road

and disappeared in the woods.

Then the Garde Mobile

and the Gestapo will ask you...

...why you didn't report this until now.

What did I tell you to answer?

Well, we thought he was just a fellow...

...trying to get home before

the curfew, like us.

Then we forgot it.

Latour, do you confirm this?

Yes, it was Dupont.

No mistake about that.

I saw his face very clearly

in the moonlight.

That is not true, Latour.

You were with me that night.

We played chess until curfew time.

What is going on here, madame?

Father Le Clerc,

these men have identified the saboteur.

It's true, Father.

We've suspected this fellow Dupont

for two days now, each of us alone.

- Now we've put our heads together.

- You have, indeed.

God has heard our prayer, Father.

The men of the village

will be saved now, all of them.

I understand your despair, madame.

But it's a poor counselor.

You cannot save your son's life

with that of an innocent man.

Dupont is not the saboteur.

You know he's not.

It is not God who has spoken to you,

but the devil himself.

What if Dupont is innocent?

These hundred men we wanna save,

they're innocent too.

Is my brother guilty?

Does Jules Maret deserve to die?

What is the life of one good-for-nothing

against the lives of a hundred men?

Answer us that.

If the hundred die...

...then it is a crime of the Germans,

for which they will answer.

But if we stain our souls

with the blood of Dupont...

...then we must answer to God.

As your priest, I forbid this mortal sin.

It is murder, and I forbid it.

What right has he to decide life or death?

If it is murder to save

our own flesh and blood, then let it be.

Forget what he said.

Go, tell the Garde Mobile.

Mm-hm.

You're a sick man, sir.

No doubt about that.

But I have to be in Paris by tomorrow.

By tomorrow?

lmpossible. Quite impossible.

I'll tell you plainly.

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